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The explosion of online video has had a significant impact upon the social networking industry, but the influence of the platform is beginning to bleed over into traditional information mediums as well.

Microsoft, AP Forge Online Video Network

Throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the technology we use to convey information has grown by leaps and bounds. The underlying desire of the public to consume that information, however, has remained constant. Whether it’s by newspaper, television, radio or Internet, people always want their news; and the faster you can get it to them, the better.

With this mentality in mind, the Associated Press has been working on a massive initiative to create a video network infrastructure in which it could distribute AP video to all of its various affiliates. It’s greater hope, however, is that affiliates would eventually be able to use the network to submit their own video content.

Beet.TV has more on the AP’s efforts:

For the nation's 1000 television stations, many of which have news gathering operations, the opportunity to publish and monetize video is immediate.  For 1500 newspapers and 4500 local radio stations, whose staffs produce very little video right now, the opportunity will be a little bit further off.  It could be that the most immediate opportunity for newspapers and radio stations will be user-generated content.  We'll have to see.

The game plan was solid, but the AP lacked the technological prowess and advertising savvy to execute this intricate of a network strategy – and that’s where Microsoft comes into play.

With Microsoft’s help, the AP is currently in the final stages of beta testing the network and is scheduled to launch the service within the next 30 days. Microsoft is providing all of the technical assistance as well as the monetization strategy for the AP and its affiliates that they might be able to make the most of out of the traffic that’s sure to ensue.